Born in Darlington and based in Newcastle, Jo Clement is a working-class poet and interdisciplinary maker of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller ethnicity. She has a doctorate, is a Northern Writers' Award winner and lectures in Creative Writing at Northumbria University.

Jo has read her poems at Arvon, Brighton Book Festival, the British Library, Durham Book Festival, International Print Biennale, Leeds Poetry Festival, Morden Tower, Newcastle Poetry Festival, The Sylvia Plath Literary Festival and Southbank Centre. BBC Radio appearances include Northern Drift, Poetry Please and Start the Week. With support from the European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture, Jo edited Wagtail: The Roma Women’s Poetry Anthology. Since 2018, she has led Butcher’s Dog as its Managing Editor. In 2022 and 2023 the press was voted as producing the UK's 'Best Poetry Magazine' (Saboteur Awards). Her poem 'Paisley' featured on the London underground as part of the bicentenary of Shelley’s death and was exhibited at the Scottish Poetry Library during the Edinburgh Festival. 'Listen' and 'Existence' were commissioned for the Memorial to Europe's Sinti and Roma Murdered Under Nazism. From 2022-2024 Jo selected Poetry Book Society collections and wrote reviews for the PBS Bulletin.

Shortlisted for the John Pollard International Poetry Prize and longlisted for the Michael Murphy Memorial Prize 2023, her highly acclaimed first poetry collection, Outlandish, was published by Bloodaxe Books in 2022.

Education

2014 – 2019

PhD, Creative Writing, Newcastle University. AHRC Northern Bridge Scholarship.

Thesis: ‘Moveable Type: How might a contemporary ekphrastic practice illuminate Traveller representations in Thomas Bewick’s tail-piece prints?’
Supervisors: Professor Bill Herbert and Professor Sean O’Brien.
Examiners: Professor Sinéad Morrissey and Professor Tony Williams.
Archival and outreach internships: The Wordsworth Trust and Natural History Society of Northumbria.

2012 – 2013

MA, Creative Writing, Newcastle University. Distinction.

2004 – 2007

BA, English, Leeds University.

First Class Honours. Jack Higgins Prize for Outstanding Attainment.

Tuition, Workshops & Partnership

Jo is a fellow of the Higher Education Academy and has worked as a personal tutor, mentor, workshop leader, and facilitator in various capacities for over fifteen years. Professional partnerships include refugee and asylum seeker support networks, state schools, universities, prisons, ESL summer schools, NHS prescribed mental health support routes, museums, and art galleries.

For bookings, please note: Jo works flexibly with a range of budgets and timescales; do mention both in your contact email. Core pay rates and practices apply, as suggested by unions: The Society of Authors, Artists' Union England and University and College Union. Budgets must cover transportation costs beyond the North East of England.